DADU: Seven people, including two women and four children, were killed when the car they were travelling in dashed against the wall of the bridge over an irrigation channel before plunging into it and catching fire about eight kilometres from Kazi Ahmed town of Shaheed Benazirabad district on Monday.

According to police and some eyewitnesses, the speeding car dashed against the wall of Chandan Mori bridge and went out if its driver’s control. It plunged into the water channel along National Highway at 8:40am. Moments afterwards, the car caught fire leaving no chance for its seriously injured occupants to save their lives, they said.

Onlookers, residents of nearby localities and passengers of passing vehicles tried to rescue the victims but all occupants of the car burned alive.

The area police rushed the charred remains to a government hospital in Kazi Ahmed where the victims were identified through their belongings. The police contacted their relatives in Moro town and informed them about the accident.

SSP Ameer Saud Magsi said that the Suzuki Alto car (bearing registration number BVT-990) was on its way to Safar Solangi village of Moro taluka from Hyderabad when it met with the accident. The family was returning home after doing Eid shopping in Hyderabad, he added.

Kazi Ahmed SHO Saifullah Bughio told local reporters that a tailor’s sticker on one person’s Qameez helped locate the victim family’s residence and relatives.

The head of the family, Mohammad Sadiq Solangi, a resident of Safar Solangi village, came to the hospital and recognised his family members. He lost his son, Afzal Solangi, 35, and two daughters, Tehmina, 40, and Mahak, 12, to the car accident.

He identified other deceased members of his family as Mrs Essa Solangi, 30, and her three daughters, Anum, 7, Falak, 6, and Anita, 5.

The police handed over the remains to him for burial in his native town.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah expressed his grief and sorrow over the tragic accident and directed the commissioner and DIG concerned to extend all possible assistance and cooperation to the family.

Meanwhile, Safar Solangi village and nearby villages of New Jatoi and Gahi Machhi descended into mourning as soon as the Edhi ambulances carrying the coffins reached the residence of Sadiq Solangi.

A large number of Solangi community members and other residents of several villages gathered at his home to offer their condolences. They attended the funeral prayers and burial of the victims in the Gahi Machhi graveyard near Moro town of Naushahro Feroze district in the evening.

All shops and other commercial outlets were closed to mourn the tragic incident.

Published in Dawn,May 3rd, 2022